click "PLAY" to watch the 2024 ISAP Image Competition Awards

Entry Deadline: April 7, 2024, 11 PM Central Time

Competition Date: April 9, 2024, 10 AM Central Time

Entry Fees: $15/members; $20/non-members

Number of Entries Allowed: A maximum of five in a category. No overall limit on entries beyond the category limit of five. 

Entry Size: Files must be sized so the longest dimension is 4000 pixels. Each file must contain an embedded color profile of either sRGB or AdobeRGB 1998 and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 10.

Image Eligibility:

1. Images must be the creative work of the entrant.
2. All processing, manipulation, or rendering must be done by the entrant or under his or her direct supervision. In Artist-Creative and Artist-Painting, the maker must do all processing, manipulation, artwork, or rendering.
3. The entrant’s name should not appear anywhere in or on the face of the entry.
4. No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment. All images submitted must be self-directed.
5. Entries of the same subject will be allowed if the images are entirely different concepts.
6. Images that have merited or medaled at Professional Photographers of America’s International Print Competition or any animal-only (pet and/or wildlife) print competition are not eligible to be entered. Images that have merited through PPA’s Merit Image Review are eligible for entry.
7. The Print Competition Committee decision about entry eligibility is final.

Judging: Entries will be judged on PPA’s Twelve Elements of a Merit Image.

Questions:

The image competition co-chairs are Danica Barreau and Ellen Zangla. Please address any questions to them: 

Danica Barreau, danica@pouka.com

Ellen Zangla, ellen@ellenzanglaphotography.com 

Animals and Humans: Photos of people and animals with the intent to show the relationship between them. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Artist, Creative: Main subject should be photographed by the maker. The entry may also include freehand drawing and elements that the maker didn’t photograph but has permission to use. AI art generated by text may be used to create backgrounds or elements of the entry. Guide images of all major components are required. 

Artist, Painting: All elements of this entry must be photographed or created or painted from scratch by the maker. No stock images or AI are permitted. Backgrounds may be changed, and additional elements may be added if they are either photographed or created from scratch by the maker.

Bloopers: Unexpected, unplanned photos that have humor. Still judged on the 12 elements of a merit print. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Cats: Portraits of domestic cats, indoors or outdoors. Cats younger than seven months old should be entered in the Puppy and Kittens Category. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Dogs Indoors: Portraits of dogs, whether in your studio, a client’s home, or any other indoor location. Dogs younger than seven months old should be entered in the Puppy and Kittens Category. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Dogs Outdoors: Portraits of dogs at any outdoor location. Dogs younger than seven months old should be entered in the Puppy and Kittens Category. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Dogs In Action: Dogs running, jumping, swimming, etc. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Equine and Farm Animals:  Horses and other farm animals, such as cows, chickens, sheep, etc. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. Wild horses should be entered in either the Wildlife and Zoo Animals — Illustrative Category or the Wildlife — Natural Category (depending on the editing; see their rules below). 

Other Domestic Animals: Gerbils, rabbits, lizards, etc. Must be pets, not wildlife or wild animals. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Puppy and Kittens: Dogs and cats six months of age or younger. Every animal in the photo must meet that age requirement. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Sporting Animals (Reportage/Documentary): Sports, including conformation, agility, barrel racing, rodeo, dock diving, etc. ONLY basic color and brightness adjustments including black and white conversion, levels, cropping, dodging and burning, and noise reduction are allowed. Only single-capture images are permitted. The originally captured image (in RAW or JPEG) must be available if requested.

Wildlife - Illustrative:  Wildlife/wild animals in captivity and animals under a person's direction should be entered in this category. Painting is permitted to replace fur, hair, and/or feathers, and small details but can’t comprise more than 10% of the image. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. 

Wildlife  — Natural:  Images must depict actual wildlife in a natural habitat. Baiting to attract, control, or manipulate wildlife is not permitted. Cropping, rotating, selective dodge and burn, reducing noise, sharpening, adjusting color/black-and-white, applying grain, and minor retouching is allowed. Photo stitching, focus stacking, and multi-exposure are allowed as long as it is shot at the same time and in the same place as a consecutive sequence, seconds or minutes apart. It is NOT allowed to add, delete or move elements by cloning, healing, patching, content-aware fill, liquify, or similar tools. The original capture image (in RAW or JPEG) must be available if requested by ISAP. 

Please note that the rules may be updated as needed.

Category Winners: After the judging is complete on April 9, judges will choose a category winner from the top ten scoring images (and ties) in each category. A minimum of ten entries in a category is required to award a winner. Awarded a trophy. 

Best in Show: Judges will choose “Best in Show” from the category winners. Awarded a trophy. 

Judge’s Choice Awards: Each judge will choose his or her favorite image from among all the entries. Awarded a ribbon.

ISAP Animal Photographer of the Year: This award is intended to show versatility and is awarded to the animal photographer showing excellence in at least five categories. Entrants must merit at least one image in five different categories. The case (of five) total will decide the winner. In the event of a tie, the case median determines the winner. If an entrant merits more than one image in a category, the highest scoring image in the category will be used. If an entrant merits in more than five categories, the five highest scoring images will be used, with no more than one coming from each category. Awarded a trophy. 

CPP Award: Provided by PPA and awarded to the highest scoring entry by a

member in good standing with PPA and who is a current CPP. In the case of a tie, the

judges will select a winner.

Awards Ceremony and Trophies: The awards ceremony will take place virtually on April 30, 2024, at 7 PM Central Time. Trophies will be mailed to the category winners within two weeks of the competition. International winners are responsible for paying shipping costs for their trophy.  

The awards ceremony will take place virtually on April 30, 2024, at 7 PM Central Time. Trophies will be mailed to the category winners within two weeks of the competition. International winners are responsible for paying shipping costs for their trophy. 

We are excited to welcome our esteemed panel of jurors:

• Carl Caylor: Holland, MI
• Nancy Green: Plymouth, MA
• Julie Savage: Madison, AL
• Paula Swift: Framingham, MA
• Jessica Vogel: Shelbyville, KY
• Bob Coates: Sedona, AZ
• Jeff Dachowski: Bedford, NH
• Cris Duncan: Lubbock, TX
• Dawn Muncy: Enid, OK
• Gena Tussey: Maryville, TN
• Ivan Domazet: Williamstown, NJ
• Mark Garber: Springboro, OH
• Keith Howe: North Platte, NE
• Kristy Steeves: Medina, OH
• Barbara Yonts: Madisonville, KY